Silicon Valley-based start-up VUDU today launched its new VUDU box in a move to compete with online rental services such as Blockbuster and Netflix.

The box offers access to VUDU's movie library where videos can be rented or purchased via download. According to the company, the box connects directly to your television and 2 Mbps broadband connection, and allows you to browse through thousands of titles. It can store up to 100 hours of purchased movies on its 250 GB hard drive.

Movies are provided from both independent and major movie studios, such as Vanguard Films and New Line Cinema. VUDU's library claims to offer approximately 5,000 movies and previews, encoded in MPEG-4 at a resolution of 480p, which is roughly DVD quality. Even so, the box is said to be capable of upscaling these videos up to 1080p for viewing on modern HDTVs, as well as 480i playback for standard-definition TVs. In addition, the company offers movies in native HD resolutions and will do so "when studios license titles in high-definition."

The box offers video out through HDMI, component, S-video and composite connections. Compatible with the Dolby Digital Plus CODEC, audio out is possible via HDMI, optical, digital coax and RCA ports. The unit also features two USB ports, which are currently disabled, but VUDU plans to enable them within the next 6 months to support external hard drives and for use with wireless Ethernet cards.

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Some of the titles available through the library are recent blockbusters Breach and Hot Fuzz, as well as classics like Tootsie and Breakfast at Tiffany's. One-time movie rentals range in price from $0.99 to $3.99 while complete purchases cost anywhere from $4.99 to $19.99, depending on the age of the release. Currently, an unlimited movie subscription plan is not an option.

The VUDU box will retail for $399. Both the unit and the movie library are expected to be available for sale today at www.vudu.com.

About the Author

PJ Jacobowitz is PCMag.com's Analyst for Digital Cameras. He has been with PCMag.com since September of 2006 and has appeared on MSNBC, CW11, ABCNY, XM Satellite Radio and CNN Radio as a correspondent for PCMag.com. PJ graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Telecommunications and a minor in Business in 2004 from Indiana University at Bloomington.... See Full Bio

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